Feb 24, 2011

Italian rice balls, otherwise known as Arancini are one of my favorite appetizers, but I usually stay far away because they are deep fried and loaded with fat. If you've never tried them, they are balls of rice stuffed with chopped meat, peas and cheese, then breaded and fried, what's not to love?

This lightened up casserole is the genius of my friend Julia from Julia's Healthy Italian. I "skinnified" her recipe a bit to cut the points down, but she takes all the credit for the creativity of turning an otherwise very heavy meal and making it lighter. The servings are large and very satisfying. A simple green salad on the side is all you need to complete this.

This is probably a good weekend recipe to make since it requires some prepping, Julia usually makes double and freezes the second casserole to use later on. I halved her original, but it makes sense to make two for the same amount of work it takes to make one.

To make this quicker you can make the rice ahead of time as well as the sauce. I used my filetto di pomodoro recipe, but you can use your favorite sauce. I recommend either using the 93% lean turkey, I found the 99% lean turkey was too dry and the points remain the same.

Cook rice in water according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, sauté sausage meat; cook until brown breaking up into pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add turkey and onions and cook until browned, breaking up as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add peas and 8 oz tomato sauce and simmer on low, covered, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl combine rice, pecorino romano, eggs, and 3-4 oz tomato sauce and mix well. Rice should be a bit sticky.

Spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray, making sure to spray sides too. Add 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to the dish and roll around to coat the bottom and sides.

Take half of the rice mixture (a little more if needed) and cover the bottom of the dish and up the sides; press to form the bottom layer.

Add the meat and peas.

Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Top with remaining rice and press until even. Top with remaining 4 oz of sauce, remaining 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, and remaining mozzarella.

This looks so good! I can't wait to try it, but I cannot eat sausage - do you have another suggestion that I could use in place of the sausage? Thanks for your blog - I always pass on your link when I bring in leftovers from the night before to work!

Oh C, isn't that funny. I was thinking the same thing. I hate peas, but love how this recipe looks. I was thinking the peas are added more for color than flavor, so maybe any other green vegetable like chopped broccoli or green pepper can be used.

I wonder how this would be with veggie burger crumbles instead of the turkey and some soysauge? I think it would work okay. Might help the points too. I'm also thinking it would be worth the Arborio rice. Yum!

To those of you asking about brown rice instead, if I were going to use brown, I would probably use a short grain brown rice. The rice should be sticky so keep that in mind. Arborio would work too, but white rice is easier.

Do you think I would be able to make rice in my rice cooker for this recipe? Or would that rice be too sticky for this recipe? It would make this recipe so much easier since I can never cook rice perfectly on the stove!

I am also a long time lurker. Have made many of your recipes and am such a fan. I am baking this casserole right now as I write this (at the 20 minutes covered stage). This was definitely a labour of love but I am so excited about the end result.

Thank you thank you thank you for this healthy version of one of my favourite Italian dishes.

Having lived in Italy, you guys are killing me with your "Can I use broccoli and quinoa?" comments. These are rice balls we're talking about!! lol They have a certain flavor. But still, I need to recognize that food is ever evolving, and it might still be delicious, just different. But please don't call it "Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole" if you substitute other stuff. That would just be wrong.

Anyway, I made it and loved it!!! My only suggestion would be to salt the rice mixture a bit before pressing it into the pan. Oh, and don't use foil at all.

For tomato sauce, I simmered an onion and some garlic cloves in crushed tomatoes and a little olive oil for about an hour (enough time to make and cool the rice). This is a Marcella Hazan way of doing tomato sauce, and it's not quite as nuanced as the type with vegetables simmered in it, but still very delicious.

Thank you sincerely for this recipe. It made my week! I miss this flavor, and even though it's not quite the same as having a true deep-fried rice ball, it was still fabulous. THANK YOU!

I'm half Italian and lived in Italy 17 years.Yep cannot call this arancini if you use anything other than the ingridients listed,although we use ground beef and not sausage I will make it just as listed. Gina also I have baked the original arancini before instead of frying

my family has made these for years...but we never tried baking them..i'll have to try that sometime...this also is a lot easier than making arancini...no forming and dipping...much less time consuming...

Gina,Thank you again for a tremendously delicious recipe. I will have leftovers for the week too ! I did us chicken sausage and it was delicious. I will try it with pork next time but I bought chicken and fresh mozzerella which was difficult to grate but worth the flavor. I love peas in casseroles and the flavor was fabulous. I try to make at least one of your recipes every week and I have lost 33 lbs! Still want to drop another 30 to my goal so onward I go. You are helping to keep me on track to my goal!Nancy

your recipe is made and on deck for later tonight...can't wait to try it....thanks again...I like adding a link to your blog every now and then on my facebook page to recommend it to others. I also post what I have made on my blog with a link back to your page.

Elizabeth, thanks for the chuckle! I agree, it needs the peas and rice to make this a sicilian rice ball, otherwise it's just a rice or quinoa casserole. And I've used her technique for sauce, she also adds butter... it's yummy.

Just to point out, I don't eat peas. You will never see me just eat a side of peas, but they are subtle when cooked with the meat and sauce. So just go for it!

These are rice balls we're talking about!! lol They have a certain flavor. But still, I need to recognize that food is ever evolving, and it might still be delicious, just different. But please don't call it "Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole" if you substitute other stuff. That would just be wrong.

Anyway, I made it and loved it!!! My only suggestion would be to salt the rice mixture a bit before pressing it into the pan. Oh, and don't use foil at all.

How do you think this would freeze? Since I'm taking the time to make it and I have a whole package of turkey and more than one sausage link, I'm wondering if I can make a double batch and freeze one for a busy week night?

I made this tonight! SOO DELISH! But of course because I'm me I put them in my muffin pan. Made for nice portion sizes and I plan on boxing them on up for individual lunches. I plan on reposting this recipe (with all the appropriate acknowledgments and link backs OF COURSE!) on my blog. I am starting a month long "muffinized" healthy recipes. Come check it out if you want to see how they came out!

This was dinner tonight. I have lots left and packaged for future meals. I will definitely be making this again. Large, satisfying serving and just plain delicious!! Definitely didn't taste like "diet" food.

I made this Sunday night and my whole family enjoyed it! I loved it and shared the recipe it with my friends already! I messed up the recipe a little in regards to sauce and cheese (I sauced it and cheesed it all at once haha because I didn't read the whole recipe first, oops!) It still turned out great! Thanks for doing all the hard work!!

I made this recipe for my Italian American family tonight. We grew up on Arancini. This recipe was fantastic and great alternative to the labor-intensiveness of making rice balls! I used chicken sausage. I really think that the sausage adds a nice flavor to the meat. I agree with Gina!Thanks, Gina. I'm sharing this recipe, and your website with friends and family

i am eating this right now as i am typing this. it is fabulous!! i will be putting this on my regular roatation of meals!! for desert we are having your no bake cheesecake (no crust) topped with blueberries! this is so good i cant believe i am eating this on weight watchers!

I made this over the weekend with brown rice, omitted the sausage (I am meh about sausage), added some spices to make up for it, added some diced sun dried tomatoes, and mistakenly used too many peas. Except for the peas, it turned out wonderful! It was my first time using and eating turkey and it really didn't kill me :) Thank you for the fab recipe Gina!

Hi Gina! This was so awesome! I made it tonight and man you were not kidding about making 2 for the amount of work! However, it was COMPLETELY worth it! My husband loved it and our cats were meowing for some too (but we didnt let them have any :)

Just made this and it came out really really good. Gonna reheat it for supper tonight. Having cooked the sauce last week it didn't take that long for me to put it together and bake it. Microwaved the rice and the rest was easy.

These were FABULOUS! I didn't use peas because my husband strongly dislikes them..... so I used mushrooms; sauteed them in the mix. I also seasoned with lawry's seasoning salt and a greek seasoning. I ran out of tomato sauce becasue I made 1.5 dishes, so I added in a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes w/garlic/onion. We both loved them and they are great for being on WW. Thanks for all you do; I LOVE your site!

Loved the flavour of this and froze it and used it for lunches later on the next week. Definitely a do again. One quick question - mine didn't stay together very well. Any thoughts on where I went wrong - maybe it'll stay together next time.As always thanks for helping us all with eating properly.

It was awesome, had it last night for my family and a girlfriend who joined us for dinner. My 3 year old LOVED it and asked for more :) I got the points down to 7 points plus with these revisions: substituted 10oz 93% lean ground beef for the turkey and used FF shredded mozzarella (which didn't melt on top but did melt in the center so next time I am putting all of it in the middle layer).

I also made your filetto di pomodoro and it was awesome, that will become a staple in my house - the tip about baking soda to reduce the acidity is awesome and worked really well, it fizzed like mad but once it settled down it was much sweeter :)

Super awesome dish! My husband loves the traditionally fried rice balls and he loved this dish! We are both trying to change our eating habits and have to thank you for your site! I come here at least once a day! Thanks!

My husband and I just made this for dinner last night and it was fantastic!!! We even added a layer of spinach in the middle...delicious! I'm newly obsessed with your site and have been telling everyone I know about it. Every recipe I've tried has been fabulous! Thank you! :) :)

First of all...your blog is amazing. I literally preach skinnytaste to all of my co-workers and they love it just as much as I do. Thank you for all of the hard work you put into the blog. It is fabulous.

This recipe looks amazing! If I wanted to make this ahead of time and freeze it for later in the week, would I bake it first and then freeze? Or just assemble everything and then freeze it, baking it for the first time the night we eat it?

This came out great - really reminded me of arancini, and loved the chewy texture of the rice, especially the crusty parts that touched the baking dish. I ate it one night, saved a piece for the next night, and then cut the remaining 4 pieces into squares and wrapped them in foil and put them in a freezer bag. Home-made frozen dinners! They tasted even better the next day, once the flavors had time to meld.

I just wanted to say THANK YOU! I found this recipe yesterday and I made it for dinner last night. I did make a few changes. I used 10 oz. frozen spinach instead of peas. I used smoked sausage instead of italian. I used olive oil and garlic Bertolli spaghetti sauce (the whole jar, 1/2 in meat sauce and 1/2 in rice)instead of the onions and garlic and tomato sauce. I used lean ground beef instead of turkey. I used Parmesan instead of Romano and I omitted the breadcrumbs. I only made all these changes because it's what I had on hand. This will be a favorite in my house!!! We LOVED it! Thanks for a GREAT recipe!!

So I just made this AWESOME dish and it's in the oven cooking as I type. I know you had mentioned that your friend makes a double batch and freezes it. Does she cook it in the oven before freezing it or skip the oven stage and go right to the freezer?? Thanks so much! I have a pan waiting to freeze;)

AWESOME!! Thanks so much. This was by far one of our family favorites. You are seriously amazing and we are so thankful to have found your site. I am cooking form your site atleast 3-4 times a week. Thank you for all of your time, hard work and LOVE you put into this blog!!

I generally like the recipes on this blog but not this one...I made this and I have to say it wasnt so great. First, 2 cups of rice definetly wasnt enough to cover the bottom and top of a 3X12 pan. Second, the rice on the bottom just became this crust...maybe it was cooked too long, maybe because there wasnt alot of rice,or maybe I pushed it down too much...not sure what went wrong. Third, the flavors were kinda bland. It didnt taste like a aranchini at all if thats what the goal was. Plain tomato sauce has no flavor. I added some garlic and italian seasoning to the meat mixture which helped.

Overall, I dont like this recipe but it could be good if you tweak it.

Next time I will try just layering the turkey, cheese, rice, and top with the breadcrumbs to give a similar effect. It will not dry out the rice, and will save time/complication of coating the pan with the breadcrumbs which to me didnt add anything.

This is EXACTLY like a recipe my grandmother makes!! Hers, of course, is more like WW-enemy, but it's probably my favorite dish. I can't wait to try your skinny version!! Gina - I've been making my weekly menus based off of your recipes and I'm proud to share I lost 5 pounds last week! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for this (and your whole site while I am at it). My husband thought this was the weirdest recipe but once he tried it he kept saying "It's strange but it sure is good!" We really enjoyed it...I may have gone a little heavy handed on the cheese though :) Hopefully I'll still lose weight this week!

My family absolutely LOVED this dish. it is one of the best ww things I have made yet, and I cook something new everyday since last July! I used lean ground beef instead of turkey, we don't like ground turkey. The sausage added a perfect kick of flavor! I made my homemade tomato sauce and put onions in it, so I did not put more onions in the recipe. I also needed more tomato sauce then what the recipe said but my sauce is 0 points. I also needed 1 more cup of rice to cover everything but that added less then 1 point to each serving and well worth it. The way it was written, I sprinkled all the cheese and then read the next step and realized I needed more cheese for the top, so wish it had said to use a portion of the cheese and then the other portion but other then that, it was AMAZING! 10 STARS +

I made this last night and my husband and I LOVED it. This is going to be added as a staple meal for sure! Thank you for creating beautiful food for those of us who are working hard to lose weight. PS -- this was also great reheated as leftovers!I'm trying 3 more dishes this week!

Love this recipe - I've made it a few times and I have to say, I think it's even better reheated, and it freezes really well!

If anyone else is doing a high-protein diet, you might be interested in this: I doubled the turkey and used 99% lean, which I didn't find dry at all, and halved the rice and used brown instead of white. Then, I just used a smaller baking dish so that the rice still covered the bottom. Still delicious!

I made this for my family today along with the skinny turkey italian meatballs and everything was delicious! Thank you for all of your fabulous recipes...I've tried so many and everything has been amazing. :)

I have made this twice now (once for home and once for a church event) and both got rave reviews. I altered it slightly with the church one (more people - made more of the meat filling as it was the main dish). So yummy!!!

I'm going to make this tonight and am SOOOO excited! Question, will this work with canned tomato sauce? I know that's pretty much a sin in the Italian world haha (trust me, I'm Italian and know!) but I don't have quite that much time to make the recipe with the homemade sauce....

My aunt made this last night for our Family Christmas party, I have wanted to make it for a while and haven't gotten to it. As soon as I heard it was yours, I was all over it! OMG! Delicious! Can't wait to have the time to make it myself! She lives in the other end of our state, it was so awesome to talk "Gina" with her!

Will be making this one next week and adding it to my Christmas lineup. Was going to make another Italian dish but this one appeals to me more. I think I will make it today to see how it comes out. Thanks for always making our favorites point friendly Gina!

OMG, this was so delicious! I don't like sausage, and I don't eat red meat so I substituted ground turkey for all the meat! I'm on WW, and this was so filling and yummy! I froze the rest in portions and then I take for lunch at work. I loved this! Thanks for sharing!

I loved this. It makes a ton! I think that it would be a really great dish to take to a potluck. I wonder if the people that didn't enjoy it used a store bought sauce or something because I can't figure out what's not to like. It's really good and tastes so homemade.

I love this recipe! I've made it several times and it is awesome. This is my husband's favorite skinnytaste dish. :) Now, though, I have a toddler and she is allergic to eggs... Has anyone tried making it without eggs? or substituting? I know she will love every other aspect of the dish!--Erin

As if I need another reason to love your site...I was going through your older recipes and saw this---being Sicilian, and loving arrancini, I jumped for joy! This looks amazing, and I can't wait to try it!

Made this tonight and it was delicious! My husband loved it- he's not a huge fan of spices so this was great for him. A simple, rustic dish. A little time consuming but worth it! I used Newman's Marinara Sauce and it worked beautifully. Will definitely make this one again!

My very picky husband loved this and it is actually something he asks me to make now. I do it with all hot Italian turkey sausage and it's actually even better after a couple of days - delicious stuff!

This recipe is the best! I love Gina's comment about jar sauce being an Italian sin - my Italian grandma would be very disappointed in me! Unfortunately, as a busy grad student, I am always looking for time savers and in this case, jar sauce saved me a ton of time! I used Classico sausage, pepper and onion sauce and it's really flavorful. I also used 2 bags of Trader Joe's frozen brown rice - it's super sticky and SUPER easy to make. With these two substitutions, it only takes me about 30 minutes to assemble.

This is my absolute favorite recipe from this site!! Growing up in Brooklyn my mom used to get us rice balls all the time. I used long grain brown rice, lean ground beef (because I'm pregnant and hating on poultry), and Bertolli Italian Sausage sauce (because I'm lazy) and it came out so delicious. I was worried about the brown rice, but it worked out fine. The sauce actually isn't too bad stats wise, either.

I made this recipe for dinner. Made a few modifications. I only used the 1 lb bulk Italian sausage. I drained it and added 1 1/2 cup fresh spinach, 1 cup fresh mushrooms, and some diced garlic. I also added the peas.

Just a quick question. What could I use instead of egg because I am highly allergic? I have so many food allergies & this is actually something I could try to eat minus the egg. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you for something that looks delicious & probably tastes amazing that I would be so happy to eat :)

I have made this a number of times and when I made it last night was thinking I could probably leave out the egg entirely. In doing so, I would add more sauce (maybe another 2 oz to the rice mixture and another 2 oz on top to keep it moist).

When egg is used as a binder, as it is here, I know you can sub 1/4 cup of pureed fruit (like applesauce) and I would imagine that the same amount of pureed squash would also work.

OMG I started making something just like this about 12 years ago because I loved rice balls so much and was spending way too much money on them at the pizza place. I chose to do it as a casserole because I hated frying anything in my house because of the smell that lingered for days after. Now that I have a daughter who has a wheat allergy, this is one of the things I make for her all the time to keep frozen in squares for super-fast dinner nights. This recipe has more ingredients though. I will definitely give this one a try!

Both my husband and I were born in Italy and I have to tell you this was amazing!!! I didn't use the sausage and I salted and peppered the rice. I used brown rice without a problem. Was a big hit in my house! Looking forward to making more of your recipes!!